Last Word

It's been two magnificent years in Medford, but now that time is over.

While this blog will remain online, I won't be making any new posts here. It's time for Tucson and my Arizona Adventures. You can follow them starting now at bryanintucson.blogspot.com

Thank you for following and supporting, I hope it continues on in Arizona.

I end this blog with my final words to my coworkers at NewsWatch 12.

-- --

Friends,

I've been using the term "heavy heart" to describe how I feel about leaving KDRV. Right now, I don't feel as excited as I should about my next step and next adventure, becuase of all the people I will be leaving behind. I cannot thank you enough for making my first job as excellent as it was. I loved reporting and living here, and doing it alongside you all.

I am proud to say that I worked at this station. My skills were improved and I worked with quality news people, and quality friends. Because I was comfortable outside of work, I could thrive at work. 

There's one mantra that I tried to apply everyday here-- "If everyone feels like they're working a little bit harder than they should, then that's when everything is clicking just right."
Keep pushing, keep trusting your newsteam-mates are doing the same.

Has it been the best two years of my life? Maybe.
Has it been the two years of my life where I've grown the most? Certainly.
Thank you for that.

Sincerely,
Bryan

Here we go

Today is the beginning of the end. Or the end of the beginning. Or something.

I woke up well before my alarm sounded this morning. On my last day working at KDRV I want to be able to soak in everything that I can. One more day enjoying the people, the city, and the station.

I've been mulling this day (and the rest of this weekend, actually) just about non-stop for the past week, and I'm not entirely sure I'm totally prepared for it.

But as one of my favorite songs says, "Inhale, breathe steady, exhale; like you're ready if you're ready or not."

Stranded for Days

Everyday is peppered with victories; Some are small, some are big.

Yesterday I had a fantastic story with some of the best video I've ever shot. A car was spotted 100 feet down an embankment and the driver had been stranded with it for three days. Sunday morning he was driving on a Forest Service road when he took a turn too fast and rolled his car. For three days with little or no food and water, he survived. Wednesday, he heard a car and called for help.

Severely dehydrated, he was strapped to a backboard and carried uphill to the ambulance and flown away. I was there for the story.

When the rescue became my story, I had still yet to eat anything all day. I contemplated stopping to get food to eat on the 90 minute drive to the scene. I didn't get food and it paid off. If I was three minutes later, I would have missed the patient being hauled up. Small Victory.

After interviewing the rescuers, I asked if there was a quicker way down to the valley. He mentioned some roads I had never heard of before. I didn't know where they were, but I chanced it. After ten miles through beautiful forestland, the gravel road became wider; then crossed a bridge; then another bridge, paved; then mailboxes popped up; power lines overhead; finally, homes lined the street. I saved at least 20 minutes driving back, an eternity in TV time. Small Victory.

Got a great story that reminded me why the lunchless, gray-hair-sprouting days are worth it. Big Victory.

Open Letter to Family

Thank you so much for the kind messages. I'm very excited about everything that'll be coming my way in the next year!

My last day on the job in Medford is next Friday, the 27th. Friends are helping me pack a U-Haul and I'll hit the road early Monday morning, picking up Dad (and maybe Mom) in Oakley. We hope to cruise into Tucson on Tuesday. I'll have time to apartment hunt and get settled before starting work at KOLD on Monday, August 13th. 

I've been job hunting for about two months (which is a really short time in the TV world) and was being selective about where I was looking. There were three criteria I searched for: Job, City, Station.

The job is a bit different, I'll be working a much earlier shift: 3:30a-11:30a. And I'll be doing a lot more live shots in the field, especially for breaking news. Sometimes I'll have a cameraman, sometimes it will be just me. So my ad-libbing and multi-tasking will be tested and improved. 

Why Tucson? It's more than just a step up in the rat race of the television industry. I didn't want to move across the country, or somewhere that gets feet of snow each winter. I'm still relatively close to home, in a city that I've heard good things about. In fact, Tucson was my number two choice of where to live, where I could reasonably get a job (#1 was Austin, TX).

I also wanted to work for a good station. There are some places where they don't care about the quality of the work as much, or there's no team atmosphere. KOLD is not one of them. When Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot in January 2011, KOLD was the only station that didn't jump the gun and report her as dead. Today, people still priase the station for their accuracy. And that's one of the reasons I want to join.

My blog (bryaninmedford.blogspot.com) will have updates for the next few weeks, but I'll probably start a new one for my new adventures.

I'm very much excited for this new experience, but sad to leave Medford. It's a beautiful place, I've made great friends, and have grown comfortable in my job. But it's also tough to move further from home. Before, I was a 6-hour drive from Oakley. I could come down for a weekend trip if I wanted. It will be a bit more difficult from Arizona. I miss seeing you already, and it'll be tougher now. 

Thank you for sending your love over the past few days, and over the past two years as I've been away from home. 

Thank you for being so understanding and so supportive.

Officially Official

I'm excited to officially announce that I'll be moving on from the mountains and valleys of Medford, Oregon, to the shadeless desert of Tucson, Arizona. 


I'm proud and honored to be joining the newsteam at KOLD, the CBS affiliate in Tucson, as a morning reporter. 


Two years have flown by here in Medford, and now I'm excited for this new challenge and adventure.


I've got lots to share in the next few weeks, but I'll also be packing and soaking up my last few days with my friends. Stay tuned for updates about "contract years," why I think market size is overemphasized, a look back, and a look ahead.


Thanks.

Two Years

Two years ago was my first day at KDRV-TV. Time flies when you're having fun, and it's flown by.

Just about everything is different now. I know more about the world, know more about news, and am a better journalist.

From newbie to one of the more experienced reporters.
From getting stress stomachaches to feeling self-assured even when deadlines loom.
From using Mapquest everyday to giving directions from memory.

I've been lucky to explore the world outside of Medford, too. Cliffjumping into Crater Lake, soaking up the Oregon Coast, skiing Mt. Shasta and Mt. Ashland, climbing Mt. McLoughlin, jetboating the Rogue River, hiking a half dozen trails, spelunking the Oregon Caves, swimming in Emigrant Lake. Being only six hours from home has been great. I've been incredibly lucky to be home for both Christmas celebrations, two college friends' weddings, three Giants games, one Saint Mary's graduation, and several weekend trips to be with family.

I've said hello to many new friends and goodbye to even more. I've deeply missed college and high school a lot, then learned to love the present with that vigor.

There has probably been more change in the past two years than any other two years of my life. It's been scary, fun, humbling, and empowering.

What's on tap for the next two years? Great question. Next question.
I don't even know what my life will be like in two months. But these two years have taught me to embrace that unknown, to parlay it into something I can be proud of.

--

Earlier, I said just about everything has changed. At least one part of my life has not.

I still hate shaving everyday.

Week Wrap

It's been more than a month since my last writing here. Don't mean to leave you hanging, but it's been a busy and fun month.

There was a trip to SF with friends, a 5-day weekend, a weeklong vacation, seeing Romeo and Juliet, lots of poolside tanning, and some other funsies.

In other words, I've been trying to get out and stay busy now that it's summer. This blog has fallen as an unintended victim.

--

Here's a look at some of my stories from last week.
Monday: Arizona Immigration Law Reaction
Tuesday: 
Lookout Move-In from Bryan Navarro on Vimeo.

Thursday: Health Care Ruling (shot this, but Erin wrote and edited it)
Friday: Wildfire in Northern California

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And as a bonus, here's last Friday. Mountain Bike Race in Ashland.

Big Goodbyes

There are lots of words of caution TV mentors give rookies. "The pay and the hours suck." "It's a rat race." "You move hundreds or thousands of miles from home to the middle of nowhere… and you become best friends with the people you work with." But sooner or later, those people try to get ahead in the rat race and move away. 

I can deal with the middle-of-the-night calls during breaking news. 

I can learn to live frugally because of an always near-empty bank account. 

What's the toughest is saying goodbye to my family-like friends.

When someone leaves Medford it's always bittersweet. Bitter for obvious reasons. But sweet because the outgoing person is always moving on to something better. A better job, better pay, closer to home, more stable hours. Something enticing enough to pull them away from a place they've grown into and people they have sincere relationships with.

Three months after moving here my two closest friends moved away on the same day (one to her hometown, another to a station where she could finally report). In early March, three people moved away on the same weekend. One moving to a 6-hour drive home (instead of a 3-part flight plan), one to a big city (Nashville), and another making an insanely huge career jump (CBS in San Francisco, market #6).

Dozens others have come and gone, but those five people were my close friends. We hung out on weekends and weekdays and were surrogate family. Surrogate, but temporary.

Today, one of my closest friends has left the mountains and valleys of Southern Oregon for the skyscrapers and flouride-enriched tapwater of her hometown, Chicago. She couldn't be happier. I consider Kaylin my work sister. We were supposed to start on the same day, but a family vacation pushed mine back two weeks. There were times I got frustrated with her, but nevertheless got over it. She gave advice and offered friendship. For a few months weekend rituals involved sleeping on her spare bed when I couldn't drive home, then having Sunday night "family dinners." She was there for group trips to the Oregon coast, Portland, and jumping in Crater Lake. Because we're digital journalists, there's documentation of just about all of it. A self-described commitment-phobe, she admits her goodbye was "so emotional that she wasn't emotional." I don't understand it either, but I accept it anyway. In a goodbye letter, she called me her first real friend. It's the most emotion she's revealed to me, and I cherish it. I'll miss Kaylin, but I believe I'll see her again, and wish her the best until that day comes.

At the end of this week, we lose another great guy, Julian. He's been in Medford less than a year but quickly became one of my best friends here and best guys I've ever met. A Phoenix native, his easy-going, yet excitable personality became a reliable presence on football Sundays. He and I battled it out for Fantasy Football title (I won and I don't think he's dropped the grudge yet). With quotable sayings and copyable mannerisms, he was just fun to be around. Always one to joke and look on the bright side, he was a great to hang out with. As a camera operator he quickly grew from unsure to a confident and trustworthy. Now, he's taking his talents to Albuquerque where the pay is better and the drive home is an actual possibility. Less than a year after getting here, he's leaving Medford and leaving a great impression on those he's become close with.

People come into your life and people leave. When you're away from home, they're all you have. And when they're gone, it's that much harder. It's something I don't think I'll ever get used to. And I don't think I'm supposed to.

NYTimes: "This Memorial Day"

There was a time, not so long ago, when Memorial Day, and the knowledge that school would soon be ending, was the dock from which we looked out upon the sea of summer. From Memorial Day, to a child of the right age, September looked like some undiscoverable Indies, lying far beyond the visible horizon.

And Memorial Day itself? It was the last and most solemn solemnity before the beautiful expanse of summer, a day when graves were being gardened everywhere and you could see from the flags among them who had died as veterans.

Perhaps summer was never as blissfully empty as it seems in memory. It certainly isn’t now when we’re in the clutches of adulthood. Even so, the Fourth of July doesn’t seem to be lying in wait just around the next corner, and let us not speak of Labor Day. Better to enjoy the slowness of Memorial Morning and Memorial Afternoon and Memorial Evening, the fireflies rising like very slow fireworks into the darkness of the trees.

It has always seemed fitting to mark the purpose of this holiday — honoring those who have died in our country’s service — at the exuberant end of May. The outburst of spring is just slowing into summer’s cadence, and yet you can still smell and feel the biological crescendo all around you.

Whether it consoles the people who are gardening those graves is for them to say. And these years, after a decade of two wars, there are many lost lives to mourn. But nature is doing all it can to comfort. Life, it seems to be saying, continues on from summer to summer. There are memories and sadness, but also a verdancy that makes us celebrate what we have.

Original column on nytimes.com

Recent Stories

I know there have been few updates recently. I'm doing less work in the virtual world, because I'm doing more playing in the real world. Trips to the coast, saying goodbye to friends who are moving on, jetboat riding, and other personal projects have been taking up a lot of free time.

I'm hoping to catch you up on some of those fun adventures soon, but first here's a look at some of my stories from the past few weeks. 

This week, indian mascots were banned at all Oregon schools. That includes a high school just about 15 minutes from Medford. Here's the story on the reaction to the ban. And the next day's story on how the school plans for the major overhaul.

Is it graffiti or art? A smoke shop in Medford painted a bright, loud mural on it's storefront. Some neighboring customers don't like the look and feel and raised a ruckus. What do you think?

A 21-year-old fell into the turbulant, whitewater of Rogue River and was presumed dead. I have the story from the search in the hours after the report first came in.

A park in Medford that's seen stabbings, drug dealers, and many issues with transients is getting a million dollar upgrade and redesign. Been covering the story for a while, and here's the latest installment about voting for the new layout.

Schools in Eagle Point, a city just up the road from Medford, were in turmoil for months and it boiled over in the past few weeks. Bargaining broke down between the school district and the educators union (including teachers, staff, bus drivers, facilities employees). The union voted for a strike and ended up walking off the job. We covered the story everyday for about two weeks. Here's a handful of my stories from the saga: 

--Bargaining breaks down after 30 hours at the table.

--Once school started, students complained about the classes

--Finally, after more than a week striking, including 5 days of cancelled classes and 2 days of substitute classes, the strike ended.

Kickball For Grownups

Remember those playground games in elementary school? Four square, wall ball, and kickball are the games that I miss. But I got a chance to travel back to yesteryear and play kickball this weekend.

All the media outlets, channels 5, 10, 12 and the newspaper, The Mail Tribune, met on the grassy turf field for a kickball fundraiser. We collected money and toys for The Ethan Jostad Foundation, which is named in honor of a local boy who died of cancer.

Good fun for a good cause.

I've got to say, kicking is way tough. Every time the pitch comes in, the ball looks like it's asking to be crushed. So you drop your leg in as quick and low as possible. But it ends up a high bloop with plenty of time for someone to get under it.

It was a blast to get on the field, run around, play, and put our little athletic abilities to the test. I batted leadoff and played right, left-center, and catcher. In two games I went 3-6 with 2 runs and a few putouts.

We played two games, winning the first one against ch 10 put us in the championship against the Tribune.

We trailed late in the game. I squibbed a kick down the 3rd base line and got to first. Next batter flied out. Batting third was Chris Breece. My first base coach (yeah, we had one of those) told me I want you to score from first. Breece booted one to deep left. It sailed over everyone's head and bounced and rolled far. I pumped and moved. Stepping on the inside of the second, I turned my eyes from the base up to third and what I see gives me the most exciting feeling a young athlete can have. Half a dozen people have one arm extended to home and the other windmilling like crazy, their eyes wide, telling me I've got to move to score. I dig deep and pump through the base keeping my turn as shallow as possible. Not only am I able to score standing up, so does Breece. He kicked a 2-run home run. It ended up being the difference, we won 2-1 and took the championship.

Here's a video our newsteam put together. Look for my backwards baseball cap and the name on my jersey is BNAVA, a nod to my previous athletic endeavors with Freedom water polo.

But more importantly, it was a really fun time. I hope we can do it again.

Self-Defense, Rushing River, and Pot Profits

Here's a look at some of my stories from last week.


Non-Profits face tough financial constraints just as families and businesses do. Story from Monday.

A tax levy in Josephine County would keep the Sheriff's Office from making unprecedented, drastic cuts. But many are preparing to for the worst case scenario and the possibility of having to use self-defense.

A 21-year-old fell into the Rogue River late last week. The water was rushing by at 20 miles an hour and levels were high mostly from snow level. Search and Rescue workers spent hours on the river's edge, but were unable to find the victim.

The DEA is charging six men with using the state's Medical Marijuana program to grow extra pot and sell it on the black market. I use the DEA's investigation and some math to find out just how much money these growers could have been making illegally. The answer: $7,750,000.

How Colleges Fight for Top Students -NPR

I heard this story today and loved it.
NPR reported on "How Colleges Fight for Top Students."

I'm fascinated by higher education and the Admissions game is especially confusing and interesting to me. When I heard about the "trick" that schools use to get students to say "yes," it seemed so obvious in hindsight.

Love this story.

Technical Training

Being a reporter means everyday is a new immersive adventure. On very special occassions I'm in a classroom, on a mountaintop, or in a helicopter. Last Thursday, I was strapped into a harness and lowered into a firefighter drill.

Since I was going to be in the story I needed someone to shoot for me. Luckily, I got my friend and co-worker Julian behind the camera. He got the the sights, and the sounds from the morning training.

I'm used to finding little details and shooting them for my reports. Knowing what I've shot is important when heading into the edit bay so I can write to what I've got and sequence my story accordingly. It's unnerving and unsettling to give up some of that control and have someone else shoot all the video. Sort of like those improv skits where one person is arms for another. But Julian is a great photog and got a bunch of nice shots for the piece.

It was a fun day and a fun experience. Days like these I love being a reporter:

This Week's Stories

It's been a good week. I came up with a couple of stories and developed them from just ideas to ready-for-broadcast stories. It's rewarding to be able to make that happen.

Monday brought a thunderstorm to Southern Oregon and Northern California. It came into the area right on the heels of record-breaking heat over the weekend. Was there a threat of early wildfires in the rugged wilderness? I talked with ODF and a half dozen people who were caught in the middle of Mother Nature's fireworks show.

Wednesday, I took a story from Washington DC to Medford. The Supreme Court heard arguments about the controversial Immigration Law out of Arizona. I couldn't be in the capital (obviously) so I localized the argument and talked to Rogue Valley folks on both sides of the issue. Real happy to be able to turn "white collar" stories like this one, rather than just chasing the scanner.


Thursday was a fantastic day. I played a victim in a firefighter training exercise. More tomorrow, but for now here's the story:


Friday was like a blast from the past. I was invited as a judge to South Medford HS's school-wide lip-sync contest. Loud music blaring, teenagers running around and dancing, teachers joining in on the fun. It was a great, great time. And, of course, it made the news.

All around, a real nice week.

Losing Luck

It's a bittersweet day for the Cardinal. Saying goodbye to one of our best and most successful players who was part of a one-two punch that brought the Cardinal from laughingstock to powerhouse and national title contender.

He was a once-in-a-generation Cardinal QB. He and Jim Harbaugh made Stanford football fun again. Fun to watch and talk about and to root for.

He's a neck-beard sporting goober.
He's going to be a phenomenal NFL quarterback in Indianapolis.
And for a while he was ours.

Flight from Conversation

I'm guilty of this as anyone else. But it doesn't mean I like it.

"We expect more from technology and less from one another and seem increasingly drawn to technologies that provide the illusion of companionship without the demands of relationship."

Flight from Conversation in the NY Times.

Travelling Tumbler

There are few things that can make an adult feel as giddy as a kid. Cheering when your team rallies in late innings, seeing jets fly by at incredible speeds, and lightning and thunder creating Mother Earth's best fireworks show. I've got something else to add to that list: Seeing the Batmobile up close.

On Saturday four of us were driving from Medford down to Mt. Shasta for some skiing. We don't know the area incredibly well and got a bit turned around. We pulled off a few exits too early, realized it, then jumped back on the highway. A few hundred yards ahead of us we saw a semi hauling a long flatbed with something peculiar on the back. Four thick, huge tires and an exhaust pipe that looked like it belongs on a fighter jet.

"No. It can't be."

But it was and we knew it. The Batmobile was hitching a ride.

We started freaking out and speeding up. Everyone but Nick, who was driving, pulled out camera phones and started snapping pictures.

As we pulled up next to it, it was incredible. Like a tank made out of a hundred different pieces of armor. No doors. No headlights, obviously. No visible rocket launchers or machine guns, sadly.

It was a monster. And it was beautiful.

It was unbelievable, but it was real. The Warner Brothers logo was on the flatbed and on the truck cab.

As we passed the Batmobile (aka: The Tumbler) I looked up at the two men driving the truck. The driver (who looked like Survivor's Troyzan) and I made eye contact. Smiling from ear to ear, I gave him a thumbs up. And he gave one to me, too.

After the shock and glee started to fade we wondered was the Batmobile doing travelling South on I-5 in super Northern California? I had a theory that there were some pick-up scenes being in filmed in Vancouver where a lot of films and shows are produced. Turns out I was only a little bit right. It *was* in Vancouver, but as a feature in a Cancer fundraiser. What a great way to put an attraction with huge draw to use.

We joked that our day couldn't get any better. Skiing was pretty fantastic. But how often can you say that you saw the Batmobile? I'm still giddy just thinking about it.

Small Town and a Big Fix

Every third week I work the nightside schedule (2:30p-12a). It's quite an adjustment to change my sleeping schedule, morning and evening routine, and the work during those hours.

When I work nights my stories don't always make it to the website. Fortunately, my two favorites are online and I'd love to share them with you.

Park Priorities.

For a few weeks, I've been reporting on the million dollars coming to a troubled Medford park. A Portland firm was hired and brought in to gather ideas and feedback from park users and nearby business owners. I was there for the meeting where those people had their voices heard.

Big Honor for a Small Town.

Ashland was named the 18th Best Small Town by "Smithsonian Magazine" last week. The magazine based its decision on culture-- art galleries, theatre, museums, fine dining. Ashland is very happy to named to the select group and hopes the visitors flow on in.

Last Chance SkiFest

There's no such thing as too much skiing. But there is such thing as too much sun.

It's the last weekend that the ski parks in our area are open and we took full advantage. A late start to winter and being busy in the early Spring meant that I've only had one session on the slopes this season. That's not enough.

So a group of four of us trekked two hours to Mt. Shasta for a little spring ski.

The sun was out and unrestricted by a cloudless blue sky. The snow was mushy and soft. It slowed down our rides and helped soften the falls.

The temperature topped out at 64˚ but it felt about 20 degrees warmer. We all wore several layers but ended up ditching them for short sleeves and bare arms.

We brought and spread on sunblock, but that was before we got going and worked up a sweat. Our faces and necks were protected, but our forearms did not survive intact.

(Can you tell I wore a watch?)

I've been applying refrigerated Aloe Vera on the hour all evening and my arms feel like they're on fire, like Katniss.

--

We were wiped, sore, and singed. But we gathered for a group photo. I asked the closest person nearby, and perhaps I shouldn't have. He looked to be in his 70's and had no idea how to work the iPhone camera, and maybe hadn't even held one before I approached him.

What followed was a 3-minute instruction session on how the iPhone worked, how to hold it, which side was front and which was big. After he learned, he tried taking the group picture, but wasn't sure that he had taken any. Well, he did. Here are some of notable shots he snapped.

(Sarah, Jessica, Nick, Me)

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Despite the sunburns and the tumbles, it was a fantastic day. But this wasn't even the best part. Check back on Monday when I'll tell you about our run-in with the most fantastic freight that was shipped on Interstate 5 this weekend.

Pear Blossom Parade

To every job there are perks and drawbacks. Those that come with being on local TV news are any better or worse. But they are more exotic.

Saturday was Medford's citywide fair: The Pear Blossom Festival. As with many of these Americana events across the country, the featured event is a parade down main street (or in our case: Central, then turning on to Main St.).

NewsWatch 12 walked in the parade and that included me.

Early in the morning, we lined up with our live truck and one of our news cars. About a dozen or so co-workers were there, and some brought their kids or dogs.

We marched the two-mile length, waving to tens of thousands of people, families, kids. Handing out candy, waving, and saying thank you. A smile plastered on. A justified smile.

Here's what I liked: it's certainly a self-esteem boost to have people say, "We watch you all the time!" "You're our favorite news show!" and "We love you, NewsWatch 12!" I think every person who works should get that kind of absurd, affirmative feedback. It's insanely gratifying. (Think about it. One day a year, you get to march down the heart of the city where you work and people you don't know thank you for the work that typically feels unnoticed or unappreciated. People would cheer out, "You run great meetings!" "You're so prompt with your email responses!" "I love how you solicit feedback from your co-workers!" Don't tell me that's not a great idea.)

Here's what I didn't like: Strangers shouting, "Hey! Bryan Navarro!" There weren't many of them, maybe two or three, but it was enough to unnerve me a bit. What do you do when strangers call out your name? My answer is to blush, smile wide, and say "Hey-y-y" awkwardly. Maybe I point at them in acknowledgement.

I get it, people recognize me because I'm on TV. But I'm only on for 20 or so seconds each broadcast. A drop in the bucket to the 12-ish minutes of facetime each anchor gets. While it is flattering, it's uncomfortable. I didn't go into this profession to be identified. I did it because I love telling stories.

My solution, draw attention away from me by relying what brought on that attention in the first place. I hide behind the video camera.

During a majority of the parade, I shot video. Instead of looking on to the crowds, I looked through the eyepiece. Rather than be the excitement, I did what I love doing best-- captured that excitement.

In my mind, shooting something can turn an unpleasant situation into a fairly good one.

Our wonderful production crew edited the 15 minutes of raw video into a cute, fun 1:30 piece and posted it here.

Again, I don't mind walking in the parade and seeing people who appreciate our work. I'm proud of that. But I sometimes feel uneasy when I'm approached because of it.

What does it all mean? I don't know. Or maybe I don't want to know.

So I think I'll just keep rolling tape.

Family Weekend

Easter weekend was a great one this year. I took Monday off for a 3-day weekend, took leisurely time in some beautiful areas in the Rogue Valley, ate out for dinner every night. Oh yeah, my family came into town.

Dad, Mom, and Kevin came to Southern Oregon for almost three full days of Medford mania. There were lots of laughs, tons of food, and a bit of nostalgia.

It started with a bit of a surprise visit Friday at 5pm where I was making my live report. My parents got there before I did and met my camera operator (and great friend) Julian. Then they watched us great ready and rehearse the live shot a few times. My story was first in the broadcast and we start our program about 20 seconds before 5 exactly. So, after I was live and did my report for real, my family thought that it was just another dry run. Little do they know, there's not much fanfare or hooplah surrounding my live shots. But it was great to have them there and show them the magic behind the scenes.

That night was a Mexican food night at Si Casa Flores. We said "gracias" to the waitress more than a few times.

Saturday brought adventures to some of the quaint, attractive towns surrounding Medford-- Jacksonville and Ashland. Mom did a lot of window shopping and real shopping. Dad did a lot of standing outside while Mom shopped. But the weather was perfect, pleasantly sunny but not hot at all. Perfect Spring.

Needing a place to watch the Sharks game that night we went to Joe's Sports Bar where we ate our body weight in nachos, fried mozzarella, and cheesesteaks.

Several plans were in play for Sunday, including the possibility of driving to Crater Lake. But it's two hours each way and this time of year, there's a 50-50 chance that clouds roll in over the caldera rim and hide the lake. With a halfway chance of not seeing bluest lake, we decided not to risk the four hour drive (especially with six-plus hours waiting the Navarros on Monday).

So we took a few field trips. One to the NewsWatch 12 station:

Another to a state park where you can access the Rogue River (it's just ten minutes from my apartment):

And the last one to Dollar Tree and 7-11:

Sunday dinner was at the legendary, Kaleidoscope. A pizza place we've never missed enjoying. No pictures at the table, too busy scarfing.

Monday meant saying goodbye at Black Bear Diner at the South Medford exit. Every time we eat there before the rest of the family heads home. And every time we say goodbye for a little bit, but always with an idea of when the next time we see each other will be.

I drove home alone, sad to say bye but still riding happy momentum from a fantastic weekend.